MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday mocked a rainbow LGBT pride flag hung from the US embassy in Moscow, suggesting it reflected on the orientation of the diplomats.

During a televised video conference, a lawmaker told Putin that the US embassy had hung a rainbow flag on its facade for the first time to celebrate Pride month in June.

"Who works in this building?" Putin asked the speaker, Senator Alexei Pushkov, to be told "Americans." "Let them celebrate. They've shown a certain something about the people who work there," he added with a smile.

The president said Friday however that Russia does not discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation.